Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey Circus is the stuff of ‘Legends’

Plenty of action under the Big Top

Posted
Wednesday, March 5, 2014 1:37 pm

The Human Lotus Blossoms take the ancient Chinese art of hair hanging to new heights.

Courtesy Feld Entertainment

By Karen Bloom

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s latest circus extravaganza has arrived at Nassau Coliseum ready to thrill audiences with the newest incarnation of its supersized spectacle, now through March 10. This year, the circus’s creative team — led by producers Nicole and Alana Feld — brings us “Legends,” a production that unites iconic circus stars with mythological creatures in a celebration of the legends that have captured imaginations for centuries. The action, according the Ringling Bros. folks, explodes off the arena floor with breathtaking daredevilry, superhuman stunts and never-before-seen performances — in keeping with Ringling Bros. tradition. Featuring an international cast of 100 performers representing 25 countries, with an array of animal acts, audiences can expect to see even more elaborate stunts, high wire acts, cavorting clowns, and all sorts of daredevil routines this time around. “Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is where legends live, and we constantly ask our audiences to believe in the unbelievable,” says Nicole Feld. “For this edition we’ve combined a number of mythical themes and stories into a lavish production of sight and sound unlike any show we have ever created.” Johnathan Lee Iverson, who was at the helm of the “Dragons” production in 2012, returns as ringmaster this year. He guides his sidekick, Paulo the Legend Seeker, on a quest to discover real living legends from around the world and exuberantly offers up Paulo’s fantastic discoveries to circus-goers. Iverson, known as “the singing ringmaster,” is ready to share his enthusiasm with new audiences and returning fans. “The circus is magical,” he says. “It’s the only place in show business where people fly, hang by their hair and you’re surrounded by incredible animals. It’s seemingly reckless, but it’s really daring and well planned out. Once you have it in your blood, everything else pales by comparison. It’s a fantastic spectacle — and lifestyle — that you don’t get anywhere else, not on Broadway or in Las Vegas.”